The Black Angel
by JTPD413
Summary: Ash Ketchum has a pretty rough school life, but being the smartest kid there would do that to you. However, a one-time study session with his crush May Maple could change his life in ways he never thought possible. When the world's at its worst, show it your best.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everybody, sorry it's been so long! Before we get into the tale I'm about to tell, I wanna get a few things out of the way. First off, though this will be taking place in the Pokémon world, I'll be focusing on the human characters. Pokémon will still be mentioned (of course), but mainly as pets and whatnot. Besides, it's always been easier for me to write about people, anyway. Second, most of this story's events will be taking place in one city; others will be mentioned and traveled to later on down the road. Finally, I won't be posting this as one solid story; I'll be posting each chapter individually, so you and other readers can decide on which one you like best. So, without further delay, enjoy!**

"So, are you gonna be a good boy and let me borrow yesterday's homework?" Trip Augustine asked, arms crossed with a mocking smirk on his face.

Standing there, Ash Ketchum looked in those brown eyes, at that straight, chin-length blonde hair, then at that good-looking (yet simultaneously cruel) face. The first thought that crossed his mind was _How can someone be so polite, yet so condescending at the same time?_

"Why didn't you just do it yourself?" Ash asked _,_ "Or _,_ if you couldn't _,_ why not just ask someone to help you out?"

The instant those words left his lips, Ash felt like kicking himself. Anyone else would've considered his questions reasonable, logical.

Unfortunately, words like reasonable and logical didn't match up with someone like Trip. Arms remaining crossed, that expression never leaving his face, Trip took two steps toward Ash. Those two steps were enough to make Ash back up into the metal door of his locker, nearly knocking his glasses off his face, his breath catching in his throat. "And why would I go to all that trouble, when you could just open up your locker and give yours to me so I can copy it before class, Ketchup?"

 _He still remembers the nickname he gave me freshman year; great,_ Ash thought bitterly.

Any other time, with any other person Ash would probably have said no. Unfortunately, he couldn't this time; not with Trip, anyways. Though the blonde may have only been an inch taller than him, Trip was on the basketball team. That meant that Trip had muscle that Ash didn't. Futilely,he glanced around the hallway at other students passing by. Futilely, because with Trip in front of him, they might as well have been on the other side of the city; also, because those that looked over in their direction all had the same look in their eyes. It was a look that said, _Sorry. I wanna help you, but I'd rather stay away from this mess_.

With hope almost gone, Ash then spotted the white and black hat of his best friend, Branden Giovanni, and waved his arm to get his attention. His expression briefly changing to one of confusion, Trip turned his head in the same direction. When he turned to face Ash once again, a glare was etched into his features. Leaning in so close that only Ash could hear, Trip whispered, "He's not always gonna be there to watch your back, Ketchum. You'd do well to remember that."

Without another word, the blonde turned on his heel and walked down the hallway, hands now stuffed in his pants pockets. Once he was far enough away, Ash let out the air he had been holding in with a long, relieved sigh. When Branden got to Ash's locker, a big grin was on his face, left arm raised for a high-five. "Hey Ash, how's it going?"

"Oh, nothing much," Ash replied, returning the high five, "Just another day in paradise, as you could see."

Rolling his eyes at this, Branden asked, "So, what was it this time? Trip want you to do another science project for him?"

"Nah, just last night's advanced trigonometry homework," Ash replied with a frown, "I swear to Arceus, if his dad didn't fund the school, they would've kicked his ass out of this school ages ago."

Ash had been so busy talking, he hadn't noticed the familiar, knowing look form on Branden's face. "What?"

"Come on man, you know what."

Ash's frown deepened, and he hoped this would be enough of a hint for Branden to drop it. Unfortunately, it didn't work. "Okay, fine, I get it," Ash conceded with exasperation, taking off his backpack and shoving it in his locker, "I know you're gonna say I should stand up to him. However, you also know the moment I do he'll pummel my scrawny ass into the ground. Then, I'll have to explain to Aunt Joanna why I'm covered in bruises and missing my front teeth. Then she'll start worrying and blowing the thing out of proportion, and guess what? Nothing. Will have. Changed."

"And since you're such an expert on everything I say," Branden said with slight irritation, watching Ash pull one of his textbooks out of his locker, "you also know I'm going to say that assholes like him only have control over you if you give it to them. Even if he does beat you up, sooner or later he'll stop because he knows you're not scared of him anymore. As for your aunt, you and I both know she'd be more than understanding about _why_ it happened more than the fact that it happened at all. Also, you know I'd be more than willing to back you up if he does keep coming after you."

"Whether he stops going after me or not doesn't matter," Ash countered, shutting his locker, "If he stops messing with me, it just means he'll start making someone else's life a living hell. If he doesn't stop picking on people period, nothing's going to get any better."

Branden looked like he was about to say something else, then seemed to think better of it. Part of it might have been because they'd had this conversation before and he knew how it would end. It might also have been from the fact that while Branden could tolerate shades of gray, Ash saw the world in black and white. Branden knew, for better or worse, that if some good was done, Ash wasn't content with that good just affecting him. Branden knew his best friend would want everyone to benefit, even if he didn't.

So Branden instead put a hand on Ash's shoulder, a friendly smile on his face. "Come on man, let's get to class."

As much as the selfish part of him wanted to keep going, Ash was grateful for the fact that Branden decided to end it; the less Ash's personal problems affected their friendship, the better. Returning the grin, Ash nodded in reply and followed Branden down the towards their first class, World History.

Once inside the classroom, Branden and Ash made their way to their respective seats. Branden took his spot up front on the right row closest to the door; Ash took his seat in the middle of the left row closest to the windows. The drawback of this arrangement was that they were too far apart to talk to each other. Then again, if Branden was Ash's only friend, Ash would've lost his sanity long before now. Mere seconds after Ash set his binder and textbook on his desk, he saw the blonde head of Clemont Boswell peek cautiously through the door; Ash knew Clemont wouldn't come into the classroom until he was sure that Trip wasn't there.

Sighing at this, Ash waved his arm to get his attention. Noticing this, Clemont made his way over to Ash's seat. Not that he was worried about his rep taking a hit; when you're the smartest kid at your high school, you're at the very bottom of the popularity totem pole. Considering that Clemont was in a similar situation, the two became friends. That, and the rest of the school was so used to it, they didn't really care anymore.

That, and Clemont had absolutely no social skills when it came to people outside his intelligence range. "How goes it, my fellow scientist?"

"Hey Clemont," Ash with replied with an amused smile, "Just another day in the jungle that is high school."

"It's such a travesty that a barbarian like Trip can call himself a student at this school," Clemont sighed dejectedly, "Just because his father funds the school, it doesn't mean that he can make the lives of those more intelligent than him an absolute nightmare."

Ash rolled his eyes out of amusement; another of Clemont's quirks was that he had no concept of sarcasm. "Yeah, if only the world conformed to how you envision it."

Excitement appeared on Clemont's face. "I know, right?"

Then the excitement dissipated, a frown quickly replacing it. "Wait, you were being sarcastic again, weren't you?"

"Mm-hm," Ash replied, stifling a laugh.

The frown turned to dejection far more rapidly. "Darn it! I've been trying to watch for any queues or signals you might deploy when employing sarcasm."

"Eh, don't worry about it," Ash replied with a grin, "You'll figure it out eventually."

"I'd rather comprehend it sooner rather than later." Clemont said in a sulking tone.

"Yeah, I bet you would," Ash replied with a roll of his eyes, "Better go on and grab a seat; Mr. Rowan will be here in a minute."

Still sulking, Clemont took his seat directly in front of Ash. After that, the morning passed by without anything particularly interesting happening. When lunch rolled around, Ash was busy between eating and jotting down his report for his Advanced Science class. In the meantime, his blue-haired cousin Dawn Berlitz was just trying to focus on eating. "It still amazes me that you're one of the few people I know that's actually capable of multi-tasking. And you do know that report isn't due for another two weeks."

After swallowing a mouthful of cheeseburger, Ash replied, "You know than better than anyone I like to get a head start on school work. Besides, I'm not actually...multi...tasking..."

Whatever else Ash was about to say died in his throat when he caught sight of someone. Curious as to who, Dawn turned in the same direction he was looking. Two tables ahead of them sat May Maple, a girl Ash had had a crush on since seventh grade, seemed lost in thought about something, a worried expression on her face. Turning back around in her seat to face her cousin, Dawn gave Ash a knowing look. Ash stopped eating just long enough to notice. "What?"

The look quickly changed from knowing to whimsical. "Oh, nothing. Just curious as to when you're going to work up the nerve to talk to her."

Ash felt his cheeks burning from embarrassment; immediately following, he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, a subconscious sign that he was nervous. _Being embarrassed and nervous at the same time, just_ _perfect._ "Yeah, I'm sure I could... in the next decade," he mumbled.

Then Dawn's expression went from whimsical to amused. "You know Ash, if you put as much effort into talking to girls as you do with all that science-y stuff, you could get over those anxiety issues of yours."

"I don't have anxiety issues," Ash protested, "It's just that science is easier for me to understand because it's consistent, concrete. Girls are... well, girls I just can't figure out."

Dawn gave an exaggerated sigh, standing up from her seat. "Ah, my sweet, smart, clueless cousin. I didn't wanna do this, but you've left me no choice."

Ash suddenly didn't like where this was going. "Wait, didn't wanna do what? What are you talking about?"

Before Ash had even finished his sentence, Dawn was already up and making her way towards May's table. In the next moment, his confusion changed to panic with embarrassment following close behind. Suddenly eating lunch became much more interesting. _Shit, shit, shit... What if she actually comes over here?!_

Attempting to calm himself down, Ash thought, _It's alright, it's cool. Just act natural. You have absolutely nothing, nothing to-_

"Um, excuse me? You're Ash Ketchum, right?" a female voice asked, breaking his train of thought and causing him to almost jump out of his skin.

Looking up, Ash saw May Maple standing on the other side of the table. From the angle he was sitting, Ash got a pretty good view of her boobs in that red shirt she wore a lot. _Wow, I knew they were big, but man, do they look so much better up close. Crap, I'm staring aren't I? Bad hormones, bad hormones._

Gaining a fragile grip on his nerves, Ash brought his gaze up to eye level with May. In her sapphire blue eyes and on her face was an expression of confusion laced with the slightest sliver of irritation. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked.

Instead of sounding calm and looking composed, he nervously pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and stammered like an idiot. "Uh... Y-yeah, yeah. I-I'm just fantastic." _Real smooth, Ketchum. Real smooth._

However, instead of eliciting the laughter he had come to expect when talking to girls, all May did was raise an eyebrow. "Okay... Look I wouldn't be doing this unless I absolutely had to; the thing is if my grades in science don't improve, I'll flunk that class for the semester. And, considering Dawn and virtually everyone else knows you're the smartest person in school, I need you to tutor me."

Of the all the ways this encounter could've gone, this should've been the one Ash expected. "Oh. I mean, sure, I can do that. Is there any particular place you wanna meet up?"

May gave a sigh of relief. "Oh, great. For a second there, I thought you were gonna say no. Just meet me at the library on 22nd Street after school around 4:30. If that's alright with you, of course."

Ash suddenly felt confused. _Why did she think I was going to say no?_ "Yeah, sure. I'll be there," he replied.

"Great. I'll see you there." With that done, May left the table and made for the hallway that led out of the cafeteria.

Mere moments after this, Dawn returned to Ash's table and sat back down in front of him. "So, am I the best cousin ever, or what? What was she asking? Don't leave out any details."

Rolling his eyes, Ash replied, "Don't get your hopes up, Dawn. All she needed was someone to help tutor her. It's not like we're gonna be going out or anything."

"I know, I know," Dawn said with a shrug, "You talking to her one time isn't going to automatically lead to you two dating. Just consider this a first step in the right direction."

"And if it goes in the wrong direction?" Ash asked.

Not responding at first, Dawn leaned over the table and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "If it doesn't go your way, then at least you helped her out; and if there's one thing I know about you, it's that you like helping people, even if you don't get anything out of it. Whether May or any other girl in this school knows it, they'd be lucky just to have you around."

Now it was Ash's turn to fall silent. In a way he didn't fully comprehend- even after six years- Dawn knew exactly what he was thinking and exactly how he would respond to a situation better than he did. Unable to find a rebuttal to her reasoning, Ash simply nodded in agreement, a small smile creeping up on his face.

Removing her hand from his shoulder, Dawn leaned back in her seat, looking at him as if she were still expecting something from him. "What? What did I do this time?" Ash asked.

"You still haven't answered my first question," Dawn replied, smiling mischievously.

Suddenly remembering what that question was, he sighed with mock exasperation. "Fine, you're the best cousin ever. Don't you get tired of hearing that?"

"Thank you. And nope, I don't."

After lunch, the rest of the school day went by fairly quickly. On the bus ride home, the only thing on Ash's mind was how well tutoring May was going to go. Would he do a good enough job? Would this be a one-time occurrence? Would he be able to help her pass for the semester? Would she like him, even if only as a friend? _I'll just have to wait and see, I guess..._

Before he knew it, the bus pulled up to his house, a tan-colored, two-floored square building tucked away on a quiet street in Fuchsia's suburbs. As Ash stepped off the school bus he saw the two cars parked in the driveway, one for his aunt, the other he and Dawn took turns driving. _You think I would stop believing a school bus could ever beat Dawn home. When that last bell rings, she puts as much distance between her and that school as possible_ , Ash thought with an amused grin as he made his way to the front door.

When Ash opened the door, he was greeted by yellow mouse Pokémon with red dots on his cheeks and a lightning bolt-shaped tail. His grin widened as he knelt down to scratch Pikachu just behind his ears. "Hey, buddy. It's good to see you too. I can't stay long, though. I've got something I have to take care of."

The little yellow Pokémon tilted his head to one side in confusion. "Don't worry; I just have to help tutor someone from school. I won't be gone long."

"Oh, that's a shame," the voice of his aunt called from the kitchen, "I was making spaghetti for dinner tonight."

As Pikachu scampered upstairs, the mere mention of the word 'spaghetti' made Ash's stomach growl. Any other night, that would've made him stay; tonight was different. This was Ash's chance to get to know May, and help make sure she didn't flunk her class for the semester. Tonight, his stomach was going to have to wait.

Taking a quick peek into the kitchen, Ash noticed Aunt Joanna had indeed already started making dinner: Two metal pots were already on the stove, and she had a wooden spoon in her hand. She stopped what she was doing for the moment long enough to ask, "So, who are you tutoring?"

"Just a girl," Ash answered evasively, hoping Dawn had not told her.

Aunt Joanna's response told him he should've known better. "Is that girl the one you have a crush on, by any chance?"

 _Crap. Come on, Dawn give me a break._ The only word he could sheepishly get out was "Yes".

Aunt Joanna gave him a knowing smile. "Oh, don't worry too much about it. I'm sure she'll appreciate your help."

Whatever tension Ash had before vanished. The best thing about Aunt Joanna was that she somehow always knew exactly what to say. "I'll try not to. And I'll try to catch an early bus so I can be back home at a decent time.

"Just text me when you're on your way back," Aunt Joanna said as Ash made his way upstairs to his bedroom.

Once in his room, Ash proceeded to take the books out of his backpack that he wouldn't need the tutoring session and placed them on the desk in front of his bed, On said bed, Pikachu was curled up and fast asleep without a care in the world. After zipping his backpack back up, Ash began to leave his room. On the way out, he glanced back at the desk where a framed picture of Ash, his parents, and his older brother Red from seemed like a lifetime ago sat. "Well guys, wish me luck," Ash whispered, "I'm definitely gonna need it."

Without another word or thought, Ash walked out of his room, gently closing the door behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, everybody! I'm finally starting the next chapter. It took me weeks to finish it, mainly because my job kept me busy. Hopefully this chapter and the** **ones** **to come won't take anywhere near as long. If you have any questions or advice, just leave them in the PM section. You never know; I just might post yours in the next chapter. So without further ado, hope you guys enjoy!**

"Sorry, but I'm still lost," May said with a frustrated sigh.

After the two of them arrived at the library, Ash and May immediately hit the books. Unfortunately, the tutoring session had been slow-going; after three hours, they were only halfway through the second chapter of Advanced Science. However, the slow progress hadn't been from lack of trying. Ash had been doing his best to explain things in the simplest terms possible, and May had been trying to understand; science just wasn't her strong suit.

Fortunately, both of them were too stubborn to know when to quit. "Which part are you confused about?" Ash asked, glancing up from the textbook, "Mass or acceleration?"

"Both," May replied, "I finally get the equation; I just don't understand the meaning of the words."

As he subconsciously pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, Ash remembered to keep his explanation simple. "Okay, let's start off with mass: Mass simply means how much matter a person, Pokémon, or object is made of. The unit used to measure mass is-"

"Wait a minute," she interrupted, "isn't that the same thing as weight?"

"Not exactly," he continued, feeling less like a tutor and more like a teacher, "Weight is dependent on gravity. That's why a person weighs less on the moon than they do here on Earth, because the moon's gravity is weaker. However, unless matter was added to or taken off that same person, the mass will stay the same no matter where he or she is."

May took a moment to jot this down in her notebook. "Okay, I think I get it now. Thanks."

"Uh, yeah, sure. No problem."

An awkward silence followed; luckily, it didn't last too long. Closing her notebook, May asked, "Is something wrong? You look like you have something else on your mind."

Figuring that now was as good a time as any, Ash replied, "Yeah, I guess I do. Why did you ask me to tutor you in the first place?"

A small, confused frown appeared on May's face. "I asked because I didn't want to flunk the class for the semester, remember?"

"Yeah, I got that part. But most people who are flunking a class, even people at our school, don't bother asking for help. You also said you wouldn't be asking for my help unless you absolutely had to. So, I figured that there was another reason you asked me to help you besides failing a class. No offense, but Advanced Science doesn't seem to be your best subject."

Her frown was replaced by a smile and accompanied by an amused laugh. "Yeah, I guess not. The real reason I needed your help was so that I didn't get kicked off the school paper."

 _Okay, didn't see that one coming_ , Ash thought, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "The school paper?"

"Yup. I actually wanna be a reporter after I graduate."

"Why's that? Do you wanna make a name for yourself? You know, become famous for covering a big story or something like that?"

A thoughtful expression on her face, May didn't immediately respond. After a brief pause, she replied, "Well, yes and no. I mean, don't get me wrong, becoming famous would be awesome, no doubt about it. If I was being honest, though, I wanna be a reporter so that I can get the truth out where everyone can see it. The truth is a precious thing, and if we stop caring about it, we lose part of what makes us human. I don't care if I sound old-fashioned, naïve or whatever, that's why I wanna do it."

As if realizing what she just said. her cheeks turned pink from embarrassment. "Sorry, I didn't mean to preach or anything like that."

"Nah, it's alright," Ash said, a small grin forming on his lips, "You saying all that just means that you're passionate about what you like and that you enjoy doing it. Besides, I think the world needs more people like that."

"You think the world needs more reporters?" May asked jokingly.

His grin vanished and a more serious expression took its place. "No, I think it needs more people who care about the truth."

She looked surprised. "You know, you're not quite what I was expecting."

Any of sense of previous seriousness vanished, and Ash reverted to the stuttering idiot he was at lunch. "W-what were you expecting, exactly?" he asked, his cheeks turning red.

May's expression changed from surprised to thoughtful. "You know, the typical shy, nerdy kid who's so afraid of looking like an idiot to the rest of his peers that he doesn't bother helping someone, even if they genuinely need it."

 _Well, she got the shy and nerdy part down, that's for sure_ , he thought, what dignity he had taking a hit.

"But- for the most part- I was wrong. You seem to have another side to you that you don't want anyone else to know about."

Curious as to what she meant, Ash asked, "What kind of side would that be?"

May shrugged, throwing her hands up in mock defeat. "I'm not sure yet. When I figure it out, I'll let you know."

While not the answer he wanted or expected, Ash decided to let it go for now, a grin reappearing on his face. "Heh, sure. I'd appreciate that. While you're at it, you think you could figure who that Nightstalker guy is?"

This brought a similar smile to her face. "Sure, I'll get back to you on that one."

Before the conversation could be carried on any further, what sounded like a faint vibrating noise made its way in. May picked her phone off the table next to where her notebook sat. She was silent for a moment. Then she muttered, "Shit."

Somewhat confused, Ash asked, "What's wrong?"

She gave him what appeared to be an apologetic look. "It's nothing, I just need to get home. My dad doesn't like me staying out too late on a school night."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense," he agreed, "Though she doesn't ever actually say it, my aunt's kind of the same way. Besides, I think the library's gonna be closing in a few minutes, anyway."

With a nod, May began packing her things into her backpack. After she finished, she zipped up her backpack and slung it on her shoulder. She stood there for a long moment, as if pondering something. Finally, she said, "You know, as much of a pain in the ass as this is going to be for both of us, I think we need to make this tutoring thing a regular occurrence."

Ash didn't immediately respond; his brain was still trying to process what he just heard. In the end, there was only one coherent thought his brain could conform: _Hell yeah!_

Unable to contain his excitement he blurted out, "Oh sure, I don't think it'll be as bad as tonight was. I-if you don't want do the tutoring here, w-we could do it at my house."

The only word to describe the look on May's face was surprised. Seeing this, Ash's excitement crumbled into dust, with intense embarrassment taking its place. _Shit, shit, shit! Why the hell did I just say that?! Now she probably thinks I'm a creep or an idiot or something._

His cheeks burning, he sheepishly said, "I mean, only if you want to, of course."

With that, Ash waited for May's response, the response that would lead to immediate disappointment. _Here it comes_ , he thought, mentally bracing himself.

May's look of surprise vanished, and a kind smile took its place. Then she gave a reply that Ash wasn't expecting to hear. "Sure, I'll to think about it. But, I'll have to run it by my parents first."

No longer embarrassed but relieved, all he could think of saying was "Y-yeah, sure. Absolutely. I completely understand."

 _At least she didn't say "no"._

"Before I head out, do you need a ride home?" May asked.

As enticing as this offer was, Ash decided against it; he didn't want to look desperate. "Nah, I'll take a bus home. Besides, I don't wanna get you in trouble with your parents."

"Suit yourself," she replied with a shrug, "I'll see you tomorrow at school, then."

Without another word, May hurried away from the table and made her way to the library's entrance/exit. After taking a moment to pack up his things, Ash did the same. He made his way down the library's front steps, faintly hearing the click of the lock on the library's doors. _Punctual as always,_ Ash thought, _But what library _stays open until 8pm?__

Glancing down the left end of the sidewalk that bordered the bustling, car-filled street, Ash saw the bus stop just in front of the Fuchsia City History Museum. As he got closer to the bus stop, he noticed an alley that ran between the library and the museum. He also heard the faint sound of heavy objects being moved, presumably from the back of the museum.

Curious, Ash pulled his phone out of his pocket; it was 8:06. The bus that would take him back to his neighborhood wouldn't get there until 8:30. He could take a quick look to see if anything was really going on, and still be at the bus stop with time to spare. Besides, whoever was back was probably just unloading some newly discovered artifacts; what could possibly go wrong?

Putting his phone back in pocket, Ash began making his way down the alley. The sounds he had heard earlier were getting louder the closer he got to their source and he could just make out a few voices in the background. Halfway to the alley's end he stopped. _Wait a minute_ , he thought, _If the museum is bringing in new exhibits, they usually do it early in the morning, not at night. The museum's curator told us that when we took a field trip here last year._

Curiosity turning to suspicion, he continued forward, albeit in a more cautious and silent manner. After what felt like hours, Ash reached the end of the alley. What he saw confirmed part of his original theory: A group of at least seven guys were indeed carrying wooden crates loaded with artifacts. The odd thing was that they were loading said crates into what looked like a delivery truck, instead of into the museum. _That's weird_ , Ash thought, _Also, why would they need assault rifles and handguns to load... this stuff... up..._

His suspicion was in that moment replaced by panic; these guys were stealing the artifacts. Suddenly realizing how exposed he was, Ash hid behind a nearby trashcan, praying and hoping that none of them saw him. He could no longer see what was going on, but he was close enough that he could make out their conversation. "I still don't understand why we're wasting our time stealing old junk, boss," one of them complained, "we're better off robbing a bank or jewelry store or something."

"Because, that 'old junk' is worth more than any bank job or jewelry heist this city can send our way," 'Boss' replied, "Think about it this way; these artifacts are newly discovered _and_ the guy we're selling them to told me they were from some long-lost civilization. Chalk these two things up, and we can all look forward to early retirement."

"Alright, fine. If you say so."

"Hey, boss," another goon piped up, "After we drop this stuff off, can we get something to eat? I'm starving."

"Fine," Boss said with a hint of exasperation, "but if you want that to happen, then move your ass."

As the conversation continued, the gears in Ash's head began turning. These guys were stealing these artifacts to sell to a black market buyer. He had to do something, or Boss, Complaining Guy and Hungry Guy, and the rest of them were going to be too far gone to stop. _Wait, why am I giving them weird nicknames?_ he wondered, _Never mind, I need to call the cops before these guys leave._

He was just starting to reach into his pocket for his phone when something caught his eye. It was a tan, circular stone. Doing his best to remain hidden (and praying that his glasses didn't fall off), Ash reached out from behind the trash can and picked up the stone. Turning it over in his palm, he noticed the runes from what he presumed to be an ancient language. _Hold on a minute, I've seen these runes before..._

Before he could carry this thought through to its conclusion, the runes started glowing with a cobalt blue hue and he felt a burning, searing pain in his hand that immediately shoot up his arm. His grip tightening around the stone, a cry of pain escaped his lips.

"What the fuck was that?" Hungry Guy asked.

The bottom dropped out from Ash's stomach. Of all the times for his curiosity to get the better of him, why did it have to be when there were a bunch of armed goons only twenty feet away? _Okay don't panic_ _...If I move fast enough I can get out of here before they-_

"If you're thinking about running, don't bother," Boss called out, "We'll put a bullet in your back before you make it halfway down the alley. If you wanna avoid that, step out from behind the trashcan where we can see you."

 _Crap._ With no other choice, Ash slowly stood and walked away from the trashcan with his hands over his head. Though they kept their weapons pointed at him, the only word to describe the expression on their faces was amused. For whatever reason the only thought that popped into Ash's head was _I was definitely right to call him Hungry Guy. Dude could stand to lose a few pounds..._

"Heh, can't believed we were getting worked up over some four-eyed kid," Complaining Guy chuckled, "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

As they all laughed at his expense, the only thought on Ash's mind was _I just need to keep my mouth shut. Don't say a word, and I get to go home and act like this never happened._

Then Hungry Guy said this: "Yeah, and where did you get those lame-ass glasses?"

"If I had to guess, probably from the same person who put you on your current diet plan," he blurted out. _Bad mouth, bad mouth!_

Hungry Guy's expression changed from amused to angry. "You callin' me fat, you little shit?" he demanded, pointing his handgun at Ash's head, "'cause you better choose your next words carefully or I'll pump you full of-"

"Knock it off already," Boss interrupted, casting a glare in Hungry Guy's direction, "You're scaring the shit out of the kid, and he's already freaked out as it is. So lower the gun, or you can say goodbye to your cut of the money."

Put in his place, the goon lowered his gun. Acting as if this were a workplace dispute instead of a life-and-death situation, Boss turned to address Ash, his previous glare gone. Pointing to the stone in Ash's still-upraised hand, he said, "Well, now that that mess is out of the way, let's get back to business. You see kid, that rock you're holding is part of this set of artifacts, and if our buyer even _thinks_ that a piece is missing, we don't get paid."

"Oh, and don't bother trying to pull a fast one on us," Complaining Guy chimed in, "we checked the cargo manifests when the artifacts were getting shipped in."

"And if I don't give it to you, you'll kill me?" Ash asked, trying and failing to hide the dread in his voice.

The boss shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I was going to say something along the lines of 'if you don't give it back, then this won't end pleasantly for you'. But yeah, that's what'll happen. So, what it's going to be, kid? Do you want to die over some old rock from Arceus-knows how long ago?"

Every logical fiber of Ash's brain was screaming at him to just put the stone on the asphalt and walk away. There was point in getting shot over it; why should he care, anyway? Were these guys really hurting anybody by taking it or the rest of those artifacts?

Then he remembered the words his mother and father spoke to him, words that he could never forget, even after six years: _When the world is at its worst, show it your best. Bad people only win when you let them._

With what resolve he had, he lowered his hands, still tightly clutching the stone. "Of course I don't want to get killed for an old rock. But that doesn't mean I'm going to give it to you. This rock and those artifacts don't belong to you or your buyer. They belong to people who want to know about where they came from."

Boss sighed in disappointment, leveling his assault rifle at Ash's head. "And here I was thinking we could be civilized about this."

As if on cue, the other goons aimed their weapons at him as well. "Hope you have no one that's gonna miss you, kid," Hungry Guy said with a sick smirk.

Ash didn't bother trying to run or attempt to fight them; either one of those options would end with him getting ripped to shreds. There was nothing he could do, and it didn't take a genius to figure that out. While the fear didn't go away, knowing all of this brought to him a kind of clarity, if nothing else. _Aunt Joanna, Dawn...It doesn't look like I'm going to make it home. I'm glad and grateful to have been a part of your family. Mom, Dad, Red...I hope I did my best. I really do._

Before any of the goons could pull the trigger on their weapons, all the lights in their vicinity went out, plunging the alley into darkness. The next instant Ash could have sworn the light fluttering of a cape in the shadows. Out of surprise or panic, someone opened fire. Instinctively, Ash threw himself to the ground, landing on his stomach and the sudden movement and impact caused his glasses to go flying off his face.

For what felt like ages, all he could hear were gunshots, screams of pain and terror, and what sounded like the cracking and breaking of bones. Then just like that, it was over and the lights came back on not long after. Ash got to his knees and started crawling and fumbling around, blind as a Zubat without his glasses. He stopped when he noticed the blurry shape of a person holding his glasses. Taking them from the stranger's hand and putting them back on with his free hand, the only word he could immediately say was "Thanks".

Then his vision cleared and he saw who he was talking to. He only need to look at the black boots, the utility belt, the black gauntlets, the molted gray unadorned suit, and the black cape and cowl to know who he was talking to.

"Holy shit," he gasped, scrambling back up to a standing position, "You're the Nightstalker. I mean, I've heard the rumors, but seeing you in person is just...wow. How did you-"

"Did they say who their buyer was?" the Nightstalker asked, his voice a deep, raspy growl.

Momentarily caught off-guard, Ash didn't immediately respond. "No, they didn't," he finally said, "but they did say something about cargo manifests, that means they were at the docks. Maybe they left some kind of clue there or something. That doesn't sound like a lot to go on, though."

"It's a start," the Nightstalker replied, "If there's anything useful there, I'll find it."

Giving Ash what looked like a once-over, he asked, "Are you hurt?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Ash said, glancing over his shoulder, "What about..."

The rest of his question died in his throat. Most of the goons had their arms or legs bent at odd angles, some had bruises on their faces, and none of them were moving. Ash suddenly felt sick. _Did...did he..?_

As if reading his mind, the Nightstalker said, "They're not dead, but they'll be out for a while."

"So it's true," Ash muttered, relieved, "you don't kill people."

"If I did, how would I be any better than the criminals I stop?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he agreed.

Suddenly remembering what he was holding onto, Ash held out the stone. "This is part of the artifact set. The curator might get antsy if she thinks a piece is missing."

Taking the stone, the Nightstalker turned to leave. "The police will be here soon, so if I were you, I would keep what you saw here tonight a secret. They'll be less likely to believe these criminals if you're not here, and you can avoid painting a target on your back."

"Trust me, no would believe me if I told them, anyway."

Aiming what looked like a grapple gun upward, the Nightstalker said, "If you hurry, you can still catch your bus."

As the vigilante zoomed upward, Ash was momentarily confused. _My bus?_

Then he pulled out his phone and looked at the time: It was 8:32. "Oh, shit!"

Without another word, he sprinted down the alley as fast as his out-of-shape body could go.

The bus ride home was uneventful, especially compared to what had happened earlier. After everything that had transpired, Ash was physically and mentally exhausted. After the bus reached the stop a block from his house it was all he could do to trudge the short distance there. When he reached the front door, the only conscious thought in his head was _If Joanna or Dawn ask, only mention the tutoring session. Nothing else._

Stifling a yawn, he opened the door and stepped inside. The only person visibly present was Aunt Joanna sitting on the living room couch, busily typing away on her laptop, probably working on a case for the law firm she worked at. As Ash shut the door and made his way into the living room, she looked up from what she was doing. "Oh I'm sorry sweetie, I didn't hear you come in," she apologized, "How did it go?"

"It went good," he replied with another yawn, "It took a little longer than we anticipated. I think tutoring her might have to become a weekly thing for the foreseeable future. Where's Dawn?"

"Oh she's up in her, probably texting a friend."

"Oh, man. I completely forgot to text you and let you know I was coming home. Sorry about that."

With a knowing smile on her face, she said, "Oh, don't worry about it. Just make sure you do it the future, especially if tutoring this girl is going to be a regular thing."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, I left a plate in the microwave, since you didn't get to eat on your way out."

As enticing as that was, Ash was (for the first time in his life) too tired to be hungry; all he wanted to do was sleep. "No thanks. May and I let the time get away from us, so I ended up having to chase the bus down."

Looking concerned, she asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Right now I'm just ready to go to bed more than anything."

"Well, if you're sure. I'll put it in the fridge if you want it for lunch tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'll definitely take it with me to school tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." With that, she went back to typing on her laptop and Ash made his way up to his room. As he opened his bedroom door, he saw Pikachu gnawing on his chew toy. The little yellow mouse's head perked up the moment he saw his friend enter the room and said toy was immediately forgotten about. "Hey, buddy," Ash said as he closed the door behind him, "I'd like play with you, but I'm exhausted."

The Pokémon's ears drooped in disappointment. "Pika."

Dropping his backpack on the floor, he gave his friend a reassuring smile. "Don't worry buddy, I'll make it up to you tomorrow. I promise."

His ears perking up again, Pikachu hopped onto the corner of the bed, curling up in a ball once he was comfortable. Once he kicked his shoes off and put his phone on the charger, Ash laid his back on his bed, too tired bother with changing into his pajamas or even pulling off the covers. Once his head hit the pillow, he quickly succumbed to the bliss-filled serenity that was sleep.


End file.
